Ryosuke woke up with a heavy head. Good, he sarcastically mumbled. He did not have a good sleep last night. Gosh, he barely slept! It was more like he couldn’t stay awake any longer that he eventualy dozzed off. Just with a few hours of sleeping, not a good one moreover, he added, it was understandable that he got migrain when he woke up.

He sighed.

Just early morning and he had whined, he noted himself. Today would be hard. His mood was not better, and he had work till night. Good, he frowned in annoyance.

He stretched his arms and inhaled a deep breath, but... He froze.

His nose caught the smell of cooking. His heart suddenly picked up.

Once he regained his senses, he threw away his blanket, and dashed out to the kitchen.....

Mirai?

... only to be disappointed.

“Oh, it’s just you, Mika-chan?” with dejected tone, he asked, while staring at his little sister.

The girl in the kitchen  turned around, facing him with crossed arms on her chest. “Just me? What’s with that greeting?”

He sighed before sitting himself on the stool before the kitchen counter. He realized that he sounded rude just now. “Sorry. Didn’t meant to be rude.”

Mika released a huff, turning around to refocus on her cooking.

“So,” he started with softer tone. “What bring you here? And where did you get the key?”

He heard Mika heaved a sigh. “It’s Mom.”

After a few seconds, she added, “I know you must have expected Mirai-neechan instead of me. And now, I do understand why this should be done.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

He heard a click when Mika turned off the stove.

“I mean, giving you and Mirai-neechan time to sort out your thoughts,” she answered, putting a plate of omurice in front of him.

“Why should we do that?” he arched a brow. “We don’t have any problem.”

“That’s the problem, Niichan,” Mika sat across him. “You don’t realize that you have a problem.”

“I don’t get it,” he frowned.

Mika shrugged, and instead of answering him, she brought up another topic, “Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday. Mom will make a family dinner. She told me to ask whether you will come.” She started to eat.

“I’m prohibited from visiting the house, don’t you remember?”

“But they didn’t forbid you to visit Dad’s restaurant,” she quickly answered, not lifting her eyes from  seeing her food.

From that he then understood that the dinner would be held in his Dad’s restaurant. “Will Mirai be there?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Will you come only because of her?”

He went into silence.

“Look, Niichan,” Mika changed the tone. “I understand if you’re mad at Dad, or even us, your family. I was shocked too at the beginning, but Dad said he was looking out for both you and Mirai-neechan. I don’t like the idea of our family breaking up, so could you at least talk to Dad and solve this once for all?”

He realized that he hadn’t tried to talk to his father for the last week. He absentmindedly played with his fork, muttering “I wanted to, but... I don’t know.”

He couldn’t tell his little sister that he was scared. He was scared of what would his father said about his relationship with Mirai. He was scared that his father would disagree and call off the wedding. He surely would insist to marry Mirai even though his family disagree, but... having his family’s blessing had been part of his dream wedding... and his father had always been the role model for him, so...

“You know what, Niichan?”

He looked up to see his sister, and once they met eyes, his sister continued, “I don’t care who Mirai-neechan’s parents were.”

He kept staring until he managed to utter, “Why?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? She couldn’t choose her parents. No one could. If ever there are people insulting her because of what her parents did, then they must be stupid. You know, I don’t listen to idiots.”

He could feel a smile formed in an instant. “Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better.”

“What, I didn’t mean to,” Mika shrugged, as if she did not care, though he knew better. “Just don’t want you to be one of those idiots who thought that I would care about such thing.”

He let a brief laugh at his sister, and eventually decided, “Tell Mom, I’ll come.”

“Got it!” Mika stood up, taking her plate to the sink. She returned with her bag to the diningroom. “Well, I’m late for my job. See ya, Niichan. Oh, and please wash the dishes, ne!” A grin appeared on her face.

He only stared at his sister’s back while she walked away. He felt a feeling of gratitude for his sister. When Mika disappeared to the livingroom, he rushed after her. She was putting on her sneakers.

“Mika-chan,” he called out.

When Mika straightened her back and looked at him, he threw her an apple which she caught nicely.

As his sister stared at him in question, he only grinned, “Be careful on your way.”

She gave him a smile this time, a sincere smile which showed how relief she was. Thanking him, she left soon after.

He glanced at the clock in the wall. He still had a couple hours before going to work that day. Arriving at the diningroom, he noticed the food he hadn’t touched yet. He smiled, and as he remembered his little sister’s effort to make the food, he felt himself excited to eat, which was something he did not feel since he was separated from Mirai.

Taking a seat and starting eating, it was unbidden when a memory resurfaced.

Ryosuke and Mirai was having dinner in her apartment. She had called him when he was working, asking if he could come for dinner with her. Though he had had an appointment, he would not pass spending time with Mirai, so he cancelled the other appointment.

“When we’re already married, what will you want me to do in every morning?”

All of a sudden, after they finished eating, Mirai asked.

He considered the question for a few seconds before grinning, finding several answers for her. Imagining the scenes, he told her, “Wake me up with a kiss... laughing while urging me to take a bath... smiling through our breakfast... then send me off with another kiss and smile.”

Her cheeks shaded with light blush, but her brows knotted in wonder. “Only that?”

“Yep!” He took a gulp of his coke.

“You don’t want me to make a morning tea or cook breakfast...or prepare your clothes...or make you bento...or—“

“Nope,” he cut her off, smiling. “That can be done by a maid.”

“You’ll hire a maid?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “If it’s needed.”

“Is that because I’m not god enough to do the chores?”

He sensed a hint of worry in her tone, and immediately he caught on what probably she was thinking. Though they had been together for almost two years, and she had changed to be more confident, she still had that insecurity that she felt she might not good enough about everything. He swore she was expert in everything. Years ago, she would not be hired to be a caretaker if she wasn’t good in doing chores, right?

“That’s not it,” he replied. “It’s just because those chores will take your time.”

“I can manage.”

He sighed, then put on a gentle smile. Propping his chin on his palm, he stared at her and said, “You’ll be busy with your drama and such. If the chores also take your time, then what will you leave for me?”

“Eh?”

“Those times for doing chores... you should give them to me instead. I easily feel lonely, you know.”

Hearing this, she giggled giddily. “Now I understand. So...in the future, while the maid cooking, what will you want me to do?”

Unexpectedly, he felt his cheeks heated up while he was thinking about the answer.

“I’m not telling,” he said shortly, shaking his head.

“Eh? Why not? Then how am I supposed to know then?” she did not notice the blush spread on his face it seemed.

He rose to stand up. He could feel his face flamed. Bracing his racing heartbeat, he rounded the dining table while Mirai’s eyes followed his move. Once he arrived at her side, he bent down, giving her cheek a light peck then saying, “That’s for you to find out. Jya, nice dream!”

And before she managed to form a reply, he dashed out from her apartment.

He tapped either side of his cheek to cool it down.

Kamisama, he whined, was it alright that he thought of something like that? He shook his head. He admitted that he was a ert, but he didn’t want to think something inappropriate about Mirai... unless they already got